Thousands Wanted Marvel’s Wolverine to Fail, but the PS5 Exclusive Is a Hit and Had Sony’s Best First-Party Launch Since Helldivers 2

Every year, hundreds of new games hit the market, but only a handful manage to dominate the conversation for months, whether for better or worse. Marvel’s Wolverine is a perfect example. The game sparked plenty of debate both before and after its release, but despite the controversy, it performed well commercially.

Sony has remained silent about sales figures, but a new report suggests that the latest game from the creators of Marvel’s Spider-Man was well received, at least in the United States. In fact, it reportedly achieved the best launch for a PlayStation first-party game in quite some time.

Marvel’s Wolverine Outsold NBA 2K27 and EA Sports FC 27 in September

We will have to wait a little longer for official sales figures, but data from market research firm Circana offers a glimpse of how well Insomniac Games’ new title performed following its mid-September launch. Perhaps surprisingly to some, the game appears to have done better than expected.

Marvel’s Wolverine was caught up in all kinds of controversies, and thousands of people wanted it to fail. Things were made even more difficult by the fact that it was one of the first PS5 exclusives to launch amid controversy surrounding the disappearance of physical copies from the market. Even so, the game managed to make a strong debut last month.

According to Circana, Marvel’s Wolverine was the best-selling game in the United States in September, beating heavyweights such as NBA 2K27 and the latest EA Sports FC 27. The X-Men-inspired title also outsold The Blood of Dawnwalker, Wardogs, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

It is worth noting that Circana’s figures account for both physical and digital sales. That alone is impressive, but another statistic suggests that boycotts and controversies had little impact on the commercial performance of PlayStation 5’s latest exclusive.

According to analyst Mat Piscatella, Marvel’s Wolverine generated the highest dollar sales of any Sony first-party game during its launch month since Helldivers 2 in February 2024. That is a significant achievement, considering Arrowhead Game Studios’ multiplayer shooter launched simultaneously on PS5 and PC and cost just $40 USD.

In theory, this means Marvel’s Wolverine sold more copies than the online shooter to reach that milestone, although the actual number remains unknown.

Logan’s latest adventure also appears to have boosted PS5 sales. The console recorded a 43% increase in dollar sales in the United States compared with the same period last year. Of course, excitement surrounding GTA VI and other factors may have contributed to that growth as well.

The Controversies Surrounding Marvel’s Wolverine

PlayStation’s new exclusive was revealed to the world a couple of years ago, but its development was filled with obstacles. A leaked early build of the game received plenty of negative criticism, and more recently, its art direction and the designs of certain major characters, including Jean Grey and Mystique, divided the community.

Before launch, Insomniac Games developers responded to the criticism. The game’s director even argued that fans will always find “things to complain about,” even when a game is good. The situation became even more complicated once the latest installment arrived in stores.

Marvel’s Wolverine received mixed reviews due to its overly linear design and repetitive combat. Players also criticized the guides that restricted exploration. The studio acknowledged these issues and released numerous updates in the weeks following launch.

Ultimately, Circana’s data suggests that despite all the controversy, the action game managed to resonate with a mainstream audience. That is quite an achievement, especially considering September was packed with new releases ahead of the highly anticipated debut of Grand Theft Auto VI.

But tell us: do you think the criticism is justified? Let us know in the comments.